Cody Gakpo opens Liverpool account as they ease past derby rivals Everton

Liverpool’s first Premier League win of the year – and January signing Cody Gakpo’s maiden goal for the club – brought new Everton manager Sean Dyche’s honeymoon period to an abrupt end in the 242nd Merseyside derby.

Having beaten leaders Arsenal in his first match in charge, the former Clarets boss and his side made the short trip across Stanley Park arguably with more confidence and momentum considering their hosts’ much-publicised problems.

But they left with chants of “going down” and “it’s your last trip to Anfield” ringing in their ears after goals from Mohamed Salah and Gapko in a 14-minute period bridging half-time secured a 2-0 win for the home side.

Fans have still not seen an Everton victory at the ground since 1999 as the Toffees’ win here in 2021 was behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions.

The form of the two teams – victory still left Liverpool nine points adrift of fourth with a match in hand while Everton remain in the bottom three – meant no-one was expecting a classic but the visitors’ first win since October last time out had raised the stakes.

Not that Dyche would ordinarily have been expected to win both of his first two matches considering the opposition but how his chances would have been helped with a January signing, specifically a striker.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin nursing a hamstring problem it left 22-year-old Ellis Simms, recalled from a loan spell with Sunderland last month, leading the line and it was an unenviable task.

Meanwhile Liverpool’s one winter transfer window signing finally got off the mark in his seventh appearance since joining from PSV Eindhoven for £37million, with the easiest of chances to end a club goalscoring drought dating back to early October.

The goal will be